Police protection and resources on and off campus

Wright State University’s Police Department works full-time to keep students safe.

“Our main goal is to provide the highest quality service to the campus community, while at the same time keeping us one of the safest campuses around,” said WSU Sergeant Patrick Ammon.

During situations such as the acid spill that occurred in Oelman Hall on June 23 of this year, the department’s priorities include notifications, getting people out and setting up a perimeter for safety. Whenever a theft occurs on campus, notifications are sent to the campus community to raise awareness.

“The public is more likely to see something like that happening with the notification,” Ammon said. “Criminals are very careful to make sure that Law Enforcement is not around, but sometimes they commit offenses in front of the general public.”

They have a sergeant on the Greene County S.W.A.T Team working part-time, with Ammon assigned to the U.S Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force.

“We have an officer who is a sexual assault investigator, and works with areas inside and outside of the university,” Ammon said. “These connections give us many resources and tools for the safest and best response we can have to keep our campus safe.”

The police department also attends both ongoing professional and departmental trainings on various topics, such as response to an active shooter, firearm use, CPR, First Aid, AED, and other specialized training.

Campus programs such as Women’s Self-Defense Awareness and A.L.I.C.E (response to an active shooter) are available to students throughout the year. The police department also offers Student Association For Escorts, or S.A.F.E., to students to use for a safety escort anywhere on campus.

Sergeant Ammon said the police department needs the help of the community to keep the campus safe.

“The community needs to remember that the police department by themselves can only accomplish so much,” Ammon said. “But the police department and the community working together in a partnership can accomplish almost anything.”